WARNING GRAPHIC IMAGES: Man gets hooked in the eye in freak accident

Roy Alexander in the back of an ambulance after impaling his eye with an elasticated bungee cord hook

Published:12:28Tuesday 29 November 2016

These dramatic pictures show the damage caused after a dad was securing items with a bungee cord which suddenly sprung back and hooked him in the eye.

Roy Alexander, 55, was strapping their old bedroom furniture to the car to take to the tip on Sunday when wife Judith heard a massive scream and ran outside to help.

Roy in hospital

She was confronted with the horrifying sight of one end of the cord in Roy’s eye and the other still attached to the car.

Judith, 49, had to cut the cord to free him with scissors and Roy had to hold the hook in place for a staggering THREE HOURS so that it didn’t add any extra trauma to the eye.

Paramedics arrived at the family home in Skelmersdale, and rushed security guard Roy to Aintree Hospital.

Two eye specialists were called into the hospital to help.

This huge piece was hanging out of his eye, but he was in so much shock that he didn’t feel it

Judith Alexander

Roy’s eye had completely swollen up and pictrures show the hook in the eye with the eye lids compressed around it.

An X-Ray revealed the hook of the strap had not actually pierced his eyeball, but had hooked around the back.

Amazingly, one of the doctors was able to prise the savage metal hook from behind the eye as he was about to go into theatre - to possibly remove the eye if needed.

The doctor put anaesthetic drops in and with the trauma team consultant they pulled it out - although it is not known if this is enough to save Roy’s sight.

Roy in hospital after the freak accident

At the moment Ray can only see shadows and the couple now face a excruciating waiting game to see if doctors can save his sight.

He is visiting doctors each day to monitor his progress.

Wife Judith said: “This huge piece was hanging out of his eye, but he was in so much shock that he didn’t feel it.

“We are still all in shock. I don’t think it’s quite sunk in.

Roy after the hook was removed

“It was like a horror movie, where you see something embedded in someone’s eye. We can’t believe that this has happened.

“It’s crazy because Roy now looks relatively normal, just with a big black eye.

“The hospital have given us lots and lots of meds and he’s got about eight different lotions and potions.

“The pressure in his eye has increased and they’ve said that they can’t guarantee he’ll keep his sight.

“They’re not giving us any promises, but they’re going to do their best. It’s a worrying time but he’s walking around today and he’s very upbeat.

“The hospital staff couldn’t believe he managed to stay so calm but adrenaline must have kicked in.

Roy recovering in hospital

“It was a freak accident and it seems unreal. He was the talk of the hospital and even the cleaners knew about it.

“Luckily we are quite an upbeat family and we are coping with a lot of hook and eye jokes at the moment.”

The couple have two older children aged 22 and 27 but the accident was witnessed by their youngest daughter, eight-year-old Grace, who Judith said was left “very upset”.

The family have since learned that the colourful bungee cords, which can be bought in packs of multiples for around £10, are a known danger and that these seemingly innocuous household staples should come with a warning.

Recoil velocities of the elastic cords produce huge forces that can hit an eye at an astonishing 200mph - causing blunt and penetrating eye trauma.

“Of course we have found this out too late,” said Judith. “But it is important to use other methods to secure items.

“The dangers need to be known. Who’d have thought this could cost Roy his sight.”